إِنَّindeed نَفسيmy soul مُطيعَةٌobedient لِهَواهاto its passion
إِنَّ نَفسي مُطيعَةٌ لِهَواها
لَهِجَتit became engrossed بِالهَوىin love فَقَدand indeed أَشقاهاhas made it wretched
لَهِجَت بِالهَوى فَقَد أَشقاها
Indeed, my soul is obedient to its passion.
My soul obeys its passions
It has become engrossed in love, which has made it wretched,
It is possessed by passion, so it is wretched
لِفَتاةٍfor a maiden قَدindeed جُوِّعَwas starved الخَصرُthe waist مِنهاof hers
لِفَتاةٍ قَد جُوِّعَ الخَصرُ مِنها
أَكَلَdevoured اللَحمَthe flesh وَالعِظامَand the bones هَواهاlove for her
أَكَلَ اللَحمَ وَالعِظامَ هَواها
For a maiden whose waist has been starved thin;
For a girl whose waist is slim
Love for her has devoured my flesh and bones.
Her passion consumes flesh and bone
أَتَّقيI guard against سُخطَهاher anger فِراراًfleeing مِنfrom الهَجestrangement (first part)
أَتَّقي سُخطَها فِراراً مِن الهَج
رِestrangement (completion) وَإِنand even if أَذنَبَتshe erred طَلَبتُI sought رِضاهاher favor
رِ وَإِن أَذنَبَت طَلَبتُ رِضاها
I guard against her anger, fleeing from
I fear her anger, fleeing blame
estrangement; and even if she errs, I seek her favor.
If I err, I seek her favor
بِنتُa maiden of خِدرٍa curtained chamber تُخشىare feared العُيونُthe eyes عَلَيهاfor her
بِنتُ خِدرٍ تُخشى العُيونُ عَلَيها
أَكمَلَperfected اللَهُGod خَلقَهاher form إِذwhen بَراهاHe created her
أَكمَلَ اللَهُ خَلقَها إِذ بَراها
A maiden of the curtained chamber, for whom one fears others' eyes;
A Houri's daughter, eyes guard her
God perfected her form when He created her.
God perfected her creation when He formed her
أَينَwhere لاno أَينَwhere مِثلُهاher equal إِنَّماonly يَحـbecomes beautiful (first part)
أَينَ لا أَينَ مِثلُها إِنَّما يَحـ
ـسُنُbecomes beautiful (completion) مِنfrom فَضلِthe surplus of حُسنِهاher beauty مَنwhoever سَواهاis other than her
ـسُنُ مِن فَضلِ حُسنِها مَن سَواها
Where—nowhere—is her equal? Only
Where, oh where is her equal? Only through
through her beauty's overflow are others beautiful.
Her beauty's bounty can others compare